'Bout Time
by Minion

RATING: FRC [AU]

SPOILER: "Soulless"

SUMMARY: A spoiler posted reveals a WF moment where Angelus taunts Wes about his feelings for Fred. WF share a kiss and Gunn sees them. Hence now I had to write a fic.

DISCLAIMER: Mutant and Joss own it all, but I'm friken gonna write fic.

After Angelus' little conversation Wesley was unsettled. Heading up to what used to be his private study he collapsed in the swivel chair. There was a light tap on the door, a head peeking in through the crack. "May I come in?" She asked. After a moment he nodded. Fred came in leaving the door slightly ajar. "Somethin' happen down there?"

"Nothing to concern yourself with."

Fred walked to sit on the corner of the desk, just like old times. Silence fell between them until they both tried to speak at the same moment. Laughing quietly Fred reached over taking Wes' hand. "I'm glad your here, that the beast thing didn't hurt you as bad as well...you know what I mean."

"We were all lucky that night." Wes looked down to their hands, Fred realized she hadn't let go yet. Not wanting to she looked to him, a silent question being asked.

Once again they lapsed into silence.

Wes caressed the back of her hand with his thumb, patterns of slow circles in ever growing sweeps. Her fingers wrapped around his hand, holding tightly to his hand now. They held gazes as she scooted down the desk, not caring that papers were falling to the floor off the far end.

"I missed you, I never did get to thank you for helping me. With well you know what."

"You were always welcome to ask for my help. I thought it best to let you come to me if you needed me rather than face loosing my head."

Fred reached up with her free hand, tracing the now healing wound to his temple. Her fingers moving through his short spiking hair. Leaning into her hand he followed her touch until it trailed from his hair to his jaw.

"I never got to thank you for giving Gunn the vodka, cause I was kinda in trouble with that parasitic thing which still grosses me out and well I wanted to thank you for that before I go off on a tangent."

Wes smiled warmly as she continued to touch him, finding his stubble to be "It's of the past, you have forgiven me. Or enough to consider at least speaking to me again."

Fred's head dropped forward, her chin resting to her chest. "I'm sorry. I felt...they didn't want...no one would..."

Wes reached up covering her hand with his. "Fred, I understand."

Slowly she lifted her head, meeting his eyes. She saw it again, that glint of something. It was like a beacon that sucked her in until she thought of nothing but finally having a moments peace, feeling as if she were safe here, in this room.

"I don't really care what the others think, nor do I care how they feel. You are always welcome to visit me. If you need my help I will gladly give it."

As the smile pulled at the corners of her mouth, her heart swelled with an ache to do something she knew was wrong. Or had been wrong before.

"Wes..." she whispered.

Leaning forward she kissed him gently, feeling him lean into her hand. "Thank you."

"Thank you for your friendship, your forgiveness, for trusting me again." Wesley trailed the hand covering hers down her forearm, up to her shoulder then across resting at the base of her neck pulling her forward slightly.

"Thank you."

Bringing his lips to bare on hers, they sank into a deep kiss. Her hand moving to the back of his neck, his anchoring her as the kiss became more passionate.

A fierce burning longing consumend him. As they continued to snog in the Hyperion study Gunn returned from making the rounds. Hearing noise in the study, he ran over wondering if Angelus had given them any usefull info to go on. Fred slipped forward, nearly collapsing on Wesley as the kiss broke only to moments later be started again.

"Hey, any news on the...." Gunn dropped off as he opened the door finding Fred almost sitting in English's lap, locked in a serious lip lock.

"WHAT THE HELL!" he roared, slamming the door. Fred jerked falling forward, Wes shifting her quickly so that she fell into his lap. Her cheeks flushed, her breathing rapid she tried to calm down the raging hunter on the other side of the desk.

"I told you to leave Fred alone! That you make a move on her I'd put you down!"

Wesley was about to speak when Fred leapt up seething with anger. "You told him what? What's with you? I'm not some damn toy that you can use whenever you want. How long? How long have you been telling him to stay away from me? The beginning?"

Gunn slammed his hands down on the desk. "What the hell are you talking about? I told him that after you apparently decided to go to him for your little portal spell."

"I told you to stay the hell out of it, but no you had to go all 'I'm the better man. Watch this.' Took everything over. It was my problem; you went and did what you wanted anyways. 'Oh, Fred, turn the other cheek, sleep it off.' Right, then you go and snap his neck. Hypocrite."

Wesley sat watching the two of them argue, Gunn had killed the Professor? He was more than ready to defend himself or Fred if need be.

"This has nothing to do with that!" Gunn continued. "It has everything to do with him moving in on my..."

"Your what?" Fred pushed things on the desk towards Gunn causing him to skitter backward.

"Come on say it? Was I some damn prize in a game of yours? Wanna see how gullable I am...how much I'd put up with? Or ....." Gasping she looked back at Wes and then over at gun. "You knew, you knew about....oh this is just wrong."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Gunn asked. Cordelia came into the office hearing the yelling and found she all ready knew what had probably went down.

"That Wes wanted to be with her, see I tried to tell her you know but I left out the 'who.' Next time I'm just gonna spill all the beans so stuff like this doesn't happen."

Fred spun around and faced Cordy. "You mean that day when..."

"When I said that you two were..."

Fred looked around, wanting to die on the spot. Wesley stood up reaching out to her with his hand. As it rested on her shoulder she turned flying into his arms, crying softly against his purple sweater.

Gunn began to growl, Cordy reached up and smacked him upside the head. "You knew, you knew Fred had feelings for him and you went ahead anyways. I'd say I told ya so but as you can see...nuff said. Sorry Gunn, I like you and all but they are meant to be."

Gunn glowered, rubbing the back of his head, seeing Fred falling apart, Wesley trying to comfort her as he bore daggers at Gunn. Cordelia giving her best, "I told you so" look.

Having nothing to say, feeling as if he would go postal in a moment he pushed passed Cordy and took off out the front door. "I'll keep an eye on things." Cordy said softly heading out of the study. Wesley whispered quietly a thank you before focusing on Fred.

As she continued to hurt he pulled the chair up, sat down cradling her in his lap.

"I'm sorry," he told her.

"No, I'm sorry. I was blind, I didn't realize...." She sniffed.

"Sush, there is no fault here. I can't stop what I feel for you. I can only hope that you may one day return those feelings. I never meant to hurt Gunn or you. Never you."

Fred buried her head into the crook of his neck, hearing the pulse beating beneath her ear. Slowly she calmed, placing a kiss over the once angry scar.

"Take me out of here, Wesley, anywhere but here," she asked.

"If that is what you want." Wes pulled back to gage her response. As she nodded slowly, he kissed her forehead. "We can go to my flat, get away from Angelus and the others. If that is all right with you that is. I would never...."

Resting her index finger to his lips she shivered as his warm breath caressed her. "That's more than fine with me."

Slowly she stood, taking his hand as they walked out of the Hyperion with the apocolypse decending down upon them they walked towards his flat ignoring all but each other sharing kisses as they went. Gunn, Angelus, Lilah and the beast could just deal for a little while. There were a few things that needed to said, some time to be made up for.

© January 2003

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